Reluctant Departures
Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own the show Teen Titans, nor the various DC comics on which this fanfiction is based.
Jinx's head snaps to attention, finding herself once again at the diner.
The lack of sensation from the gem on her chest is what alerts her to the fact that their work has paid off.
With a grin, she reaches for her drink to deal with her suddenly incredibly dry mouth.
Finding it still steaming, a frown takes form. Her gaze immediately moves over to the clock on the cafe's wall, and her eyes widen.
"How the- It's not even five minutes!"
"So I see," Raven deadpans whilst sipping from her tea.
"But… we were in… er… you… for hours," she says, both of them blushing at the statement.
"Also true. Time doesn't flow the same in Nevermore."
"I see… Your mind's a weird place. No offense, Rae, but it's hella' creepy in there. I much prefer being in the real world!" she adds with a grin.
"So it seems. I can't apologize enough for all of that," she adds with a grimace.
"No problem. But you know what this means, don't you?"
"That a potential friendship's been ruined by unintentional mental scarring?"
Raven, to most people, would look entirely stoic at that statement. Jinx, however, notices some incomprehensible amounts of regret in her gaze.
"Nope. It means that now, we're officially off-duty. No more talking shop tonight. So let's see what we can do about this potential friendship, shall we?"
Raven ponders this quietly.
"Nightwing will want a report. A report I'm not going to be able to give."
She brings her communicator out of a pocket on her belt, checking to see what reports came in during their engagement.
Finding nothing in the hour since her departure, she gives a nod to herself and snaps the communicator shut.
"I think I'd like that."
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"-so you can imagine my surprise when I get a call in the middle of the night. I mean, they're monks. You would expect they'd be in the middle of their meditations," Raven states, an amused smirk coloring her lips.
"What the hell'd the kid do? Aren't they supposed to be all above irritation, and stuff?" Jinx inquires, her own lips stuck in a perpetual grin.
"Well, evidently, as she has aged throughout my visits, Melvin has acquired some of my less… holy interests. The monks had a fit when their meditations were interrupted by that monstrosity from Wicked Scary. Frankly, I didn't know what to say to the distressed man. I certainly couldn't scold her for doing what I'd done to the Titans, and I couldn't simply tell them that her powers naturally reflect her mind. I think that would have made it worse, actually."
"So what'd you do?" Jinx asks, sliding yet another empty plate onto the growing stack at her side.
"I went there and made her see reason. Unlike my inadvertent manifestation, Melvin was entirely aware of her actions. I told her that she would feel terrible if her play ended up causing the monks to have heart failure, and in that light, she agreed that it'd be terrible. Interestingly, though, the monks had a lot more lights installed into their facility the very next week."
At that, Jinx laughs, shaking her head.
"Damn, Rae, those poor guys didn't know what they were in for."
"Indeed. If not for my regular visitations, I think they would have tried to form a timeshare with other groups, by this point. They may have the patience of wise-men, but they do not have bodies to keep up with their antics."
Jinx's smile grows at the warmth in the psychic's voice.
It had taken nearly two hours of their meeting, but she had finally managed to get Raven out of those damned walls she kept herself locked in.
The hour following after that break-through has been a lot more informative about the mysterious Titan than Jinx ever could've hoped.
"Not to mention just plain fun," she adds mentally to herself.
Looking at the clock during the lull in their almost nonstop conversation, Raven's eyes widen.
"How have they not kicked us out yet?"
"Well, it could be that they just don't want to ruin the adorable sight of you when you're really enjoying yourself."
Raven's face instantly turns the red color that Jinx has become accustomed to, both of them shocked at how easy it is for the meta to cause the reaction.
"But I think it's probably all this," she says, gesturing to the many small plates around them.
Many cups of tea and small snacks had paved the way to their being allowed essentially free-reign of the cafe, neither the waiter nor the cook in the back inclined to interrupt the strange women.
"Yes, that makes some sense," the psychic agrees. "You know, Jinx, for an ex-convict, you are by far the most entertaining person I've conversed with in a very long time. Interesting, too, truth be told. Perhaps your plan to intrigue me worked better than expected."
"Awe, you're just pandering. I mean, you work and live with Batman's ex-apprentice, an alien queen, a genetic-level shapeshifter, and a freaking genius engineer with half a robot's body. How's that possible?"
"Nightwing has become… difficult… to converse with recently. He's becoming far too much like his mentor, which would actually be okay, but he refuses to see it and clings to thinking as he did when we were children. Beast Boy… don't even get me started. What was once kind of amusing and endearing machismo in his youth has become nigh-intolerable arrogance for more than short bursts of time."
Raven takes a long sip of her tea, finishing off yet another cup.
"The others are by far better. But Cyborg, while a very smart man and a good friend, is intelligent in a very different area than myself. My interest in technology, I admit, is nearly nonexistent outside of keeping my monitoring activities hidden. It makes conversations on common interests a more daunting task than should be. And Starfire… well, I like her enough, don't get me wrong, but the woman's constant bubbly happiness makes it nearly impossible for me to have conversations of any actual depth or interest."
"Oh, so the bar's low, then. Yeah, that would make sense for the praise, then," Jinx says, affecting a hurt air that's ruined entirely by her smirk.
Raven feels a pulse of thought pass through her at that, only recognizing it as coming from the more… amorous side of her brain after it was out.
"A low bar doesn't make a high jump less impressive, Jinx."
A brilliant blush burns itself across her face, a much lighter one mirrored on the meta's cheeks.
"That was poetic."
Jinx stares at the Titan in shock. If she didn't know better, she'd think the woman was returning her earlier flirting.
"Not that I'd mind," she adds to herself, fighting to keep her gaze focused ahead.
"Seriously, though, Jinx. Do you have any idea when the last time I had stimulating conversation, talking about things other than all the various depressive and gloomy aspects of this planet, was?"
"Well, I'm always up for some stimulation, and I have been told I'm quite good at giving it, too," Jinx says, grinning when the empath's face turns beet red.
Before she can respond, a yawn rips its way free, causing Raven to look at the clock.
"Wow. It has become quite late," she muses, just now recognizing how much time has passed with the woman.
"I must be good. You always struck me as the very observant type," Jinx laughs.
"Yes. And unfortunately, so is Nightwing," she sighs, running her hand through her dark hair. "I fear we must end this meeting, for today."
"A shame, if ever there was one," Jinx responds with a sigh of her own, some of her mirth vanishing. "I suppose the bird-brain keeps you guys on a short leash, huh?"
"In general, not until recently. But I do not socialize as my teammates do, so it will seem odd, regardless of whether I can come up with an acceptable story as to why I am returning without the gem, which they will surely know was my goal after some inspection and thought on it."
"Well, we're just going to have to fix that first part, aren't we? For the most part, all I have to talk to is Giz, except when someone gets stuck with us for an op. An' he ain't exactly big on… well… anything that I find interesting. You, on the other hand, are a lotta' fun once you get out from your shell, Raven. So I definitely want to do this again, soon."
Raven nods in agreement, having realized with no small amount of surprise that their goals were not the only similarity between them. Jinx's constant questions had revealed their tastes on entertainment to be surprisingly similar, and Raven could admit, if only to herself, that the realization had greatly helped her loosen up.
The two wordlessly leave their booth, a large number of bills mixing on the table to cover their, admittedly rather costly, patronage of the unassuming cafe.
Raven tears a piece of paper from the order notepad and scribbles something down, leaving it between their dishes.
A look of thought crosses her expression, and Jinx watches in curiosity as she rips another page free and writes something else down, pocketing the note for herself this time.
Jinx notices Raven place quite a bit more than would be expected of a tip on top of her note as they leave.
"Used to work as a waitress?" Jinx guesses.
The tiny bell over the door jingles in the still air of the night, and Raven gives her a shrug in response.
"Their sign says they closed as of three hours ago, roughly the exact time we entered. Only fair to pay them for their time," she reasons. "And their options were all quite delicious."
"And the note?"
"A recommendation for a tea they should buy for my next visit, which they'll be compensated well for."
"I'd say you're an addict if it wasn't tea. I still have no idea how you drank so much, even if it was amazing."
"Part of my physiology. Tea does wonders for my faculties, both mental and physical," Raven explains.
"Interesting. And the other note?"
At that, Raven's face confusingly turns red, and Jinx watches her internal debate with fascination.
Finally, Raven pulls the paper from her belt and jerks her arm forward, offering it to the meta.
"My… well, Rachel Roth's phone number. It's a burner phone, used mostly to assure those few who have reason to inquire about my other identity that she does exist. The Titans and League don't know about it, at least so I assume."
Blushing, Jinx takes the paper, her Cheshire smile reforming.
"Is this your way of saying you'd like to repeat this gathering?"
"It will be a safe way for us to communicate," Raven states, outwardly ignoring her quip. "It doesn't endanger me, and it doesn't run the risk of compromising you. If you sense anything in the event of calling that number, let me know, and I'll destroy it immediately."
"Okay… I get the feeling you're tryin' to say somethin' without actually sayin' it here, Raven. Just say it," Jinx laughs.
"You said your mission is to help the League and Titans retrieve the stolen items without being noticed. I could not knowingly subvert the authority of either, obviously. If a mysterious, blocked number were to call me on a civilian number with a tip, I would, however, have every reason to meet up with the anonymous informant and give them aid in tracking down leads, as quite a few vigilantes in the League do."
"You sure you ain't into the whole spy idea? Cause you seem like you'd be good at it," Jinx laughs, sliding the number into her pocket.
"Quite sure," the empath deadpans, not quite able to keep her emotions out of her voice this time.
"Yeah, she's warming up," Jinx laughs mentally.
"Well, then, I'll get in contact with the boss and let him know I may possibly have a contact who will collaborate to interfere with our team's discovery, and that we'll be setting up shop near Jump for a while."
"Then I should expect to see you again, soon," Raven says in way of parting, turning to head the opposite direction from Jinx.
"Count on it," the meta responds with her own grin…
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Raven walks through the doors to Titans Tower, an incredibly uncharacteristic smile curving her lips.
She doesn't remember the last time she had had fun, especially not with someone outside of her team.
"The ease with which she dealt with the aftermath of my poor decision is remarkable, in itself."
As she goes deeper into the Tower, she finds herself looking forward already to their next meeting.
As soon as she goes through the living room and their de facto command center, though, her good mood dies in an instant.
Zatanna, the witch who condemned the Earth to ruination in her refusal to help her when she came begging, is sitting at the table.
Only she and Nightwing are present, and she feels their dual attentions on her as she enters entirely grating.
"Raven, good that you're here. The others are out hunting down leads, too. Zatanna's going to be temporarily assigned to the team, until these heists are solved," Nightwing says, saving her the trouble of growling a demand to know.
"Any help is good help," Raven muses, letting nothing show as she walks past them towards her room.
"Where's the gem?" Zatanna asks, impeding her progress with the accusing question.
Bristling, Raven turns back to them, finding Nightwing staring intently at her. Her lie came to her with shockingly less effort than she had thought it would require.
"I tracked some leads down, and discovered that some former H.I.V.E. students had stolen it. They appear to have been unaware of what they were stealing. At any rate, it seems to have cause them to go temporarily insane, if the scene I discovered was any indication."
"It can do that?" Nightwing asks, looking between the two women with surprise. "Seriously? And we just let it sit-"
"It cannot cause insanity," Raven disagrees. "What it can do is amplify things in a person, mostly power, but apparently strong emotions such as greed. Or could, at any rate. In their fight over it, one of them apparently shattered the gem. All that was left were bits of red rock, blood, and the traces of power draining into the universe to be cycled without its container."
"Well that's… fortunate? I mean, at least the thing can't do harm now, right?" Nightwing asks, apparently accepting her story.
"If it really got smashed, yeah, the power'd drain away without a whole container. If it got smashed," Zatanna reiterates, glaring at Raven. "Who knows what a demon or someone working with them would do to cover up the gem and keep it for personal use?"
At that, Nightwing visibly winces, even as Raven's eyes narrow to slits.
And then, she surprises them as a smirk forms on her lips, a slight laugh leaving her.
"Subtle to a fault. Oh, yes, please, do go on about my lineage and what it means of me as a person. This is news to me, as I'm sure you're aware. Perhaps I should bake you some cookies to reward your brilliant detective work, Zatanna."
At Zatanna's growing red tinge to her face, Raven brings her hand up to cup her chin, as if deep in thought.
"I mean, who knows what could've happened when I'd come to you on first arrival? I mean, the sperm from which I was sired might have accidentally caused something like Trigon the Terrible being prevented from coming here, instead of the team most of your League looks upon as children having to fight him when he actually got here. Could you imagine such a travesty? I'm still so very glad you know so much about what my blood means for my personality and character."
Nightwing winces once more, this time at the shocked expression on the sorceress's face.
Zatanna opens her mouth to argue, but finds that the criticism is not undeserved.
Only as Raven wordlessly turns and walks the rest of the way to her room does Zatanna realize that the empath had never answered her accusation, just distracted with well-earned guilt.
Through her facade of calm, Raven internally winces, wondering if perhaps Jinx's company had resulted in her actually saying what she was thinking for once.
"If her emotions are any indication, perhaps I should speak my mind more," she snarks mentally, a vague premonition of an ugly future coiling around her mind...
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Author's Notes:
I had quite a bit of fun with this, especially the banter between Zatanna and Raven. As I said earlier, I like Zatanna as a character, but from everything I know of the initial interaction between the two, she can very easily be sanctimonious. And I admit, I thought of the snark from Raven before I came up with the rest of the conversation that led to it.
As always, be sure to let me know your thoughts, be they positive or negative. See you next time!